Nik Collection 7 - Reviewed - Is It Still Relevant?

The legendary Nik Collection has been spruiced up and re-released by the legends at DxO. Does this venerable pack still deserve a spot in a photographer's post-processing toolbox though?
Edited with Gling AI: bit.ly/46bGeYv
00:00 Introduction
01:20 History of Nik
02:10 What’s included
03:03 Color Efex
05:01 Analog Efex
06:28 Viveza
07:12 Silver Efex
08:24 HDR Efex
09:21 Dfine
10:49 Sharpener
11:30 General Usage
12:35 Conclusion

[@EdwardBartel]

Very different approach to presenting this suite of plugins and much of what you say really makes sense. I've been using the Nik Collection since the 90s and had started to grow tired of DxO's very incremental updates over the past couple years. But this one is significant. Adding powerful luminosity masking and the enhanced local editing in this update make spending the money worthwhile. Thanks for taking the time to put this well considered review together!

[@Andyhutchinson]

I appreciate that Edward - thank-you.

[@andrefelixstudio2833]

Great video very entertaining and informative ! Love the dry humor !

[@Andyhutchinson]

Appreciate it - thank-you. :)

[@sebastiankappen8044]

Thanks for the review. I had the NIK collection since 2014, used it a bit for black and white. Through a few computer upgrades I do not have it any more. I'm looking again into it because I like the outcome of Nik editing tools. So I'm looking to buy it to edit easy the photos to what I like. Your review is convincing.

[@Andyhutchinson]

They have a generous 30 day trial so you can give it a thorough test and see if it's something that works for you and your workflow :)

[@joseph-boza]

Another good take, Andy! I've been a long-time Nik user and am happy to see it continue, especially with the deeper integration into the overall DxO suite which I'm adopting more and more over PS / Lightroom. I like the ability to see (and learn?) what's being done to achieve a certain look rather than just letting AI "do it's thing" in a black-box. I guess I'm "old-skool", which is fine by me. :)

[@Andyhutchinson]

100% yep - learning the mechanics of changes to photos is a powerful skill because it's really hard to convince AI to do it your way. :)

[@ScottRae]

DXO been my go to for YEARS - especially SilverEfex for my infrared photos. Was going through a photo mojo failure when they changed the interface a couple of versions ago, which contributed to 2 years of barely any processing or uploading, but now it's all coming back and actually don't mind the AI changes now. Now need to figure out how it fits into a non-Adobe workflow (once I figure out what I want to use)

[@Andyhutchinson]

I was quite late to the DxO party, but I'm a big fan of their apps and use PureRAW 4 to pre-process.

[@geoffreykingston4866]

Great video as always and I must be one of the few that love the latest iteration of the Nik Collection. I find it to be the perfect companion to DxO PhotoLab7 and with this latest upgrade, I am finding that I now only rarely pop over to Photoshop. This is mainly for object removal and general clean-up rather than any serious editing. I do wish that DxO PhotoLab would improve in this area. I do hope that DxO make the polygonal selection tool and the ability to create oval Control Points to the next upgrade of PhotoLab. Incidentally, I am, against the general coconscious, loving the Viewpoint technology. I find it gives me all the control I require. I was an an avid Capture One fan but for me DxO has the right ethos and tools to take me forward in my post-production journey.

[@Andyhutchinson]

Yea, I definitely believe DxO are onto something with their more nuanced approached to AI, but there are improvements they need to make that would make their software more popular. I reckon the improved mask functionality is a near-certainty for Photolab 8.

[@lensman5762]

I am still on version 4, I think. I tried the 6 but didn't feel that it added anything special for the price. This one is different. I have only had an hour or so of play with it, but it seems that they have added some worthwhile features and improvements. The ability to migrate directly from one plugin to another is great. Might go for this version.

[@Andyhutchinson]

Definitely worth downloading the trial version to see if it's a good fit :)

[@lensman5762]

@@Andyhutchinson I already have. We shall see.

[@rolandbogush2594]

Great review, thank you. I have been a Silver Efex user for many years - the only part of NIK Collection I ever use, and I recently stumped up for v7, there is a good discount for existing users. The workflow within the plug-in is a bit odd, I agree, but you soon get used to it, and many of the presets provide really good starting points.

[@Andyhutchinson]

It is without doubt the best way to convert your photo or indeed to process one you took in B&W in the first place :)

[@rogerlove7588]

Another longtime NIK user here. I’m still stuck on v4, and it grates on me that there’s a very small discount available for me on an upgrade. I’m not yet convinced that I’d get my money’s worth if I jumped to v7. I most often use Color Efex and Silver Effects with occasional jumps into Analog. Yes, it would be nice to have improved selection tools, but I wonder if that’s worth the price of admission.

[@Andyhutchinson]

If it ain't broke ...

[@MedusaJellyFish300]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful review. I love Nik collection 7.,,❤🎉❤🎉

[@Andyhutchinson]

You are so welcome!

[@ArminSteiner]

Geez I remember Alien Skin, Boy I am getting old :) Besides that, great video as usual Andy !

[@Andyhutchinson]

Cheers Armin - believe it or not, both Alien Skin and Flaming Pear are still on sale today!

[@jeffreyduflon3065]

Another oldster here - been using NIK since purchasing from the original developer in the 90's - seemed like a fortune at the time. I mostly use Silver Efex - though I believe I still have version 5. Was disappointed when I lost a bunch of my custom presets when they switched file types, I believe it only migrated a small fraction of those I had created. What I would like to see is for them to introduce an easy way to make the conversion as I haven't found a way to do so.

[@Andyhutchinson]

Might be worth reaching out to them. :)

[@hanahoeo7073]

Did the upgrade after trying masking tools. An old guy too and actually prefer the NIK masking vs AI. Viveza yeah doesn’t do much for me either. Been moving away from C1 to total dxo7 and NIK.

[@Andyhutchinson]

I think the Photolab/Nik combo is powerful double-act! :)

[@ianyorke2617]

I have C1 and DXO V7 but find C1's implementation of AI masking much superior to DXO. Simply moving the cursor over the image it highlights what will be selected if I click the mouse button, so or 2 clicks and the selection is made. Very naturally, if you want to select small details you just zoom in. Then you have all the existing masking controls if you want to refine the selection eg feather, refine, luma range etc. For me, C1's masking UI is natural and intuitive. Compare that with DXO where I drop a control point, adjust the size (and hopefully shape in V8) of the area of influence, move the point around to get the best selection, then adjust luma and chroma sliders to fine tune the selection. A lot more work for what is now a simple task if the right technology is used. Being able to purchase a new licence, not upgrade, to C1 last Black Friday, for less than the upgrade cost of DXO-Photolab V7 is also noticeable. NIK integrates well with C1

[@hanahoeo7073]

I have no issue with c1 masking. I have issue with C1 and upgrade games of past several years of pay is before we tell you whats new. Time for me to move on. For what limited amount of masking I do V7 works great for me. C1 is a great program but no longer for me

[@Andyhutchinson]

In all honestly, I think they're both lacking something. C1 masking is weird though. If it worked like object selection in Lightroom then I'd be on board, but it isn't. I agree it feels more natural to click around, but it has terrible edge detection and you spend just as long finessing a mask as you would just making it from scratch in DxO.

[@ianyorke2617]

@@Andyhutchinson Poor edge detection? Which version are you using. I am referring to the AI brush/AI Eraser.

[@ianforber]

It took DxO over 4 months to make v6 work on my computer (huge kudos to them for persevering). That means I haven’t yet used it much and I’m tempted to jump straight to v7 but I really don’t want to go through all the faff of making it work again or, worse, it causing v6 not to work if I install v7 in parallel. I only ever use SFX anyway so although I’d like the masking tools, I think I’ll stay with v6.

[@Andyhutchinson]

Pretty sure it installs in parallel with existing versions but given the grief you went through I can understand the reluctance to try it!

[@REMY.C.]

"if you know alienskin you might be as old as me", not yet but thank you for making me realize because I was in total denial 😂

[@Andyhutchinson]

lol - welcome aboard :)

[@jonovembrino692]

Excellent intro! Thank you. What I am not sure about however, is whether to use Presharpener before Define, or vice versa. Any thoughts?

[@Andyhutchinson]

You'd use it right at the start of the post-processing workflow.

[@markielinhart]

Keeping things simple for my monochrome photography, I use Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 as a plug in for Mac Photos. I try and shoot in camera a la film as much as possible with my Leica Q1. Works for me most times Andy✌️

[@Andyhutchinson]

Cool - do you shoot with a monochrome film sim and then post-process in Silver Efex? Sounds like a powerful combination.

[@markielinhart]

@@AndyhutchinsonI do, I have a Leica Q1 set to high contrast mono (no way could I ever afford a Q2 mono, I want to keep my kidneys…) Nik Collection is also availed as a stand alone series of apps. Cheers Andy✌️

[@JACKnJESUS]

I have the last version of Nik...and it's...okay. After purchasing Luminar's Neo, I get a lot of effective presets thrown in with the editing program, making NIK redundant. I won't be upgrading any further.

[@Andyhutchinson]

Luminar is okay, but you surrender a lot of control over the myriad effects. :)

[@JACKnJESUS]

@@Andyhutchinson Yes, I agree. Nik is great for those who don't use other programs. For my workflow, I'll take the simple preset...and PP the rest. Doing that on both ends up chaotic. The preset adjustments redundant if you are post processing in another program. For me, it's a better stand alone program...and sometimes it is enough, but not usually.

[@jordanavis6657]

I'm having a hard time deciding between nik collection 7 or affinity photo 2 for someone who wants to get back into doing hdr, i use photo-lab 7elite+film-pack 7 already I lean towards nik collection since i don't need the power of Photoshop like editor for my editing style but the sale price makes it more compelling atm. what are your thoughts?

[@Andyhutchinson]

If the only reason to get Affinity was for the HDR tool then I'd probably opt for the Nik suite. But if you were looking for a decent stand-in for Photoshop and planned to use its other features then it's a good option.

[@jordanavis6657]

Thank you!

[@ademcfade]

What a great review! Thank you for doing it I have had the nik collection probably as long as I have had Photoshop, but it looks like the Google version I currently have no longer works with Photoshop.... When I try to launch it it fails Is it worth The price of upgrade.... Definitely given me food for thought and there is currently 20% off this week.

[@Andyhutchinson]

Glad it was helpful!

[@petermcginty3636]

Thanks Andy, great review. Could you give me a 1 word response? Nik or Topaz? Thank you, Peter.

[@Andyhutchinson]

Blimey. I just don't think Topaz is reliable enough, so ... Nik.

[@petermcginty3636]

@@Andyhutchinson Many thanks, Andy.

[@JohnDoe1999-lg7mh]

Viveza is the most used filter by me. Efex I use now and then. The rest, I do not use as they do not apply to my photographic subjects. I am still at 6, as 7 does not have features/updates that I require. Being just a hobby and retired, have to watch the money.

[@Andyhutchinson]

Sounds like a sensible way of doing it :)

[@dr5film]

so I have V 4. Is it really worth paying for V 7 ?

[@Andyhutchinson]

Maybe not. You can get the trial version and run it alongside your existing one. So give it a go and if there isn't sufficient updates that you use, then pass. :)

[@Sven-R]

I bought Nik Collection 6 as my first version. I had a trial version of Nik 5 before, but the different UI's were just horrible. Nik 6 did a hug step forward on that. I'm quite unhappy they dropped perspective, as it is something I use from time to time and it's a really nice tool. Most of all I use Silver Efex, I haven't used Dfine and Sharpener at all, I should really give it a try, especially when Topaz is not giving me the result I want. By the way, I am one of those rare people using Luminar and Nik (and ACDSee and Topaz Software - I know I have a G.A.S. for software). At the moment I don't plan to upgrade to Nik 7, although the new slesction tools are nice. I don't use too many Nik apps (I use them as standalone) for the same image, so maybe the feature of switching bet ween apps is not that imporant for me. To be honest, the elliptical selection should have been added still in Nik 6, it's not so much of a new feature like luminosity masking is.

[@Andyhutchinson]

It did take a while to upgrade the masking tools. Maybe they'll take that further in the next version, perhaps with AI masking.

[@joedusel]

I only ever use Silver Efex in the Nik Collection, so is there any reason to update from version 4?

[@Andyhutchinson]

Nothing fundamental has changed in processing terms. It's faster, you get the new selective masks and the quick-change workflow. You can run 7 parallel to 4, so maybe try the 30 day trial and if you're underwhelmed, stick with 4.

[@joedusel]

Thanks @@Andyhutchinson !

[@avnerbenzvi8757]

Use the NIK 6 - most time the silver effect only, need tom be sure the silver effect NIK 7 is better otherwise I'll keep my NIK6

[@Andyhutchinson]

It installs parallel to version 6, in its own folder, so you can test it and keep the old version in case.

[@tomdearie5165]

I am bowing… but it makes my back sore. 😳

[@Andyhutchinson]

lol - thank-you :)

[@tomdearie5165]

I did use all of the plug-ins you mentioned - I’ve been using Photoshop and Illustrator since v1. Time flies!

[@fotticelli]

I used to use NIK Analog Effects but a price of 99 USD is a joke. I pay only a bit more annually for Photoshop and Lightroom so asking the same for a plug-in is a joke. No thanks.

[@Andyhutchinson]

It is a bit on the expensive side, but it's an outright purchase that you can continue using forever if you wish, whereas Adobe's subscription here is $240 per year.

[@softtubefun]

@@Andyhutchinson Not strictly true that, as I have just discovered. My Nik Collection 5 is allegedly not compatible with macOS 14 Not sure what or how at present......

[@MishaG9]

Mmm... I thought the word was "relevant". I'm not a native speaker so it probably is correct.

[@Andyhutchinson]

You're quite right. I am a native speaker and managed to get it wrong in both the thumbnail and the title. 😂

[@MishaG9]

@@Andyhutchinson We all make mistakes, Andy, but hey! we learn from them. I'd love to buy and install Nik Cillection 7, but my Mac is old and really slow, so I'm saving and hopefully soon that will be possible. Cheers.

[@trevorsneath4665]

LOL Ritalin 10

[@Andyhutchinson]

Without which, I wouldn't get much done ...